


road to the throne

by tasteofsummersnow



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Everyone: Washijou is kinda a dick, Everyone: which are?, First Year Shirabu Kenjirou, Gen, Me: okay but you don't have all the facts, Me: that i love him, Washijou is a good(?) coach, just Washijou and Shirabu discussing Shirabu's role on the team
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:35:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25631416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tasteofsummersnow/pseuds/tasteofsummersnow
Summary: Kenjirou swallows. If he is to be kicked off the first string, they might as well get this over with now. “What did you want to talk to me about, sir?”Washijou-san doesn’t answer right away, but when he finally does speak, his words feel like a punch to the face. “Kenjirou, you are aware that you are not going to surpass Eita as a setter, aren’t you?”-Or: the one where Washijou gets Shirabu to understand that being the best isn't always what to aim for
Relationships: Shirabu Kenjirou & Washijou Tanji
Comments: 3
Kudos: 14





	road to the throne

**Author's Note:**

> I literally have 20 other fics I wanna be working on, but instead, I came up with a whole new one because... that's just how stupid writing works, isn't it? 😌
> 
> Listen, in my defense, I just really love Washijou even though he is not going to win a "Nicest Person Award" anytime soon. 
> 
> Enjoy! ✨

Kenjirou reads the door plate for the third time. It still reads “Washijou Tanji, Boys’ Volleyball Club Head Coach”, just like fifteen seconds ago. Which means that Kenjirou is exactly where he is meant to be. Now all he needs to do is get himself to knock.

But he is still unsure why Washijou-san asked him to come to his office after evening practice. The only plausible reason he can think of is that Washijou-san wants to boot him off the first-string practice. 

Three weeks ago, Kenjirou joined them for the first time. Three weeks ago, he tossed to Ushijima-san for the very first time. And for the past three weeks, Kenjirou has probably not managed to leave any impression on the coaches. He is keeping up, but that’s all he has going for him and, in Shiratorizawa, only being able to keep up might just be enough to get you booted off the first string again. Or maybe not.

Either way, Kenjirou is about to find out because he finally knocks at the door.

“Come in.”

Kenjirou takes one last deep breath and opens the door. “You wanted to see me, sir?”

“Ah, yes, Kenjirou, come on in, and close the door behind you.”

Washijou-san only looks up from whatever he is working on for half a second.

Kenjirou does as he is told and approaches Washijou-san’s desk.

“Have a seat,” Washijou-san instructs, as he continues to read through the documents in front of him.

Kenjirou pulls out one of the two chairs and sits down. 

While he waits for Washijou-san to finish, he has a look around the office. Rumors had it that it was filled with all the trophies the Shiratorizawa Volleyball Club has won over the years, but there is only one tiny trophy sitting on one of the bookshelves. It’s too small to be anything but a consolation prize, so Kenjirou wonders how it has earned the place of honor on the shelf. Getting up to inspect it would probably be considered rude, so Kenjirou turns towards the other wall and looks at the pictures hanging there. They’re all photographs of Shiratorizawa’s previous volleyball teams, and in all of them, his senpai are holding a trophy. Some of the pictures look like they’re older than Kenjirou himself, but he also finds the picture that had been taken of the current team when they made it to Inter High four months ago. Kenjirou wonders if maybe one day, he will also be in one of the pictures up on Washijou-san’s wall.

The rustling of paper calls Kenjirou’s attention back to Washijou-san, who is just pushing the documents he was working on away and taking off his reading glasses.

“I’m sorry to keep you waiting, Kenjirou.”

“It’s not a problem, sir,” Kenjirou assures.

And maybe Washijou-san takes him at his word because for a long moment, he just looks at Kenjirou.

Kenjirou swallows. If he is to be kicked off the first string, they might as well get this over with now. “What did you want to talk to me about, sir?”

Washijou-san doesn’t answer right away, but when he finally does speak, his words feel like a punch to the face. “Kenjirou, you are aware that you are not going to surpass Eita as a setter, aren’t you?”

Kenjirou suppresses a wince. Even if Washijou-san’s words hurt, he is not wrong. The fact that Kenjirou has just spent three-quarters of free practice trying and failing to replicate a move that Semi-san pulled off effortlessly during their practice game only further proves the point. There is no need to deny it. He sits up straighter. “Yes, sir.”

Washijou-san nods. “Good, it’s important to know one’s limits.”

Kenjirou doesn’t point out that it definitely doesn’t _feel_ good. “Yes, sir.”

And then, Washijou-san is just looking at him again.

Kenjirou tries his best not to squirm in his seat, but he doesn’t quite manage to hold Washijou-san’s gaze. “Sir, is this all you wanted to tell me?” he asks, even though he doubts the answer is going to be affirmative. After all, if this was all he had to say, Washijou-san could have just told him during practice.

Washijou-san pushes at the bridge of his nose as if to push up his glasses only to frown when he finds he isn’t wearing any. He shakes his head at himself and then says, “I have a question for you, Kenjirou. Why do you think I moved you up to the first string?”

Here it comes. Kenjirou’s demotion after only three weeks on the first string. Or maybe, if Kenjirou gives the right answers here, he’ll get another chance.

“Because... I have made a lot of progress since the beginning of the school year and I’m a hard worker, sir?” he offers hesitantly. It’s not like Kenjirou – or most of his teammates on the second string for that matter – understood why he was being moved up.

Washijou-san huffs. “No. If that was what I was looking for, I could have promoted half the second string.”

But instead of giving Kenjirou the answer, he just looks at him expectantly.

“... Because I’m a good setter and you only have two other setters in the first string now that Ito-san tore his ligaments?” Kenjirou tries again.

Washijou-san hums noncommittally. “You’re right, you are a decent setter. But we have already established that you’re not better than Eita, and I’d say you’re no match for Takao yet either.”

Well, Washijou-san isn’t called the Demon Coach for nothing. Kenjirou’s ego is taking quite the blow tonight. “... Yes, sir.”

Washijou-san nods and asks again, “So why did I move you up?”

Kenjirou swallows his frustration. “I... don’t know, sir.”

A small smile makes its way onto Washijou-san’s lips. “Yes, that is what I thought. ... Kenjirou, why do you think the starting players are who they are?”

“Sir?”

“Why are they the ones who get to play?”

Kenjirou has no idea where Washijou-san is going with this but at least, that’s a question he knows the answer to. “Because they are the best,” he states confidently.

“The best what?”

Kenjirou frowns, taken aback by the question. “They’re the best players for their position, that’s why they’re our starting members.”

Washijou-san shakes his head. “No. You’ve got it wrong. They are the starting players because they are the ones who enable our team to score the most.”

Kenjirou takes a moment to think about that. “I... see,” he says, even though he doesn’t, really. Why does Washijou-san make that differentiation? Aren’t the best automatically the ones who score the most?

“Do you really, Kenjirou?”

“I’m not sure, sir...” he admits. 

Washijou-san nods. “Then let me try to clarify. If I thought that I had the best chance scoring with six wing spikers on the court, what do you think I would do?”

_But that’s not how volleyball works_ , Kenjirou wants to protest, but he pushes the thought aside and answers, “... use six wing spikers, sir?”

Washijou-san nods, satisfied. “Exactly. And if I had to pick between two setters, one of which is the better player but the other is the one who enables the team to score more, which one am I going to pick?”

“The one who lets the team score more, sir,” he answers without hesitating this time.

“Exactly.”

And suddenly, it dawns on Kenjirou: he is not being kicked off the first string. On the contrary. “And... you think I am that player?” he dares to ask.

Washijou-san huffs out an amused laugh. “No, I don’t.” 

“Oh...”

“But I think you could _become_ that player, Kenjirou. Think about your role, think about why we don’t just play with six wing spikers.”

“Yes, sir.” Kenjirou doesn’t even try to hide his smile. He is going to stay on the first string. He will get to play with Ushijima-san more. And, if he plays his cards right, one day, he might even become the starting setter.

Washijou-san looks at him with an amused smile. “That will be all for tonight.”

“Yes, sir, thank you, sir.” Kenjirou gets up, pushes the chair closer to the desk and turns to leave.

Just as he is about to open the door, Washijou-san calls out, “Oh, and Kenjirou?”

Kenjirou turns around to face him again. “Yes, sir?”

“You will never become the best setter. But I firmly believe that you can become the best setter for Shiratorizawa and that is something to be proud of. Good night.”

“Yes. Good night, sir.”

Kenjirou leaves Washijou-san’s office with a smile on his lips, a lot of food for thought, and the resolve to work even harder tomorrow.

One day, so he promises to himself, he will be on one of those pictures hanging in Washijou-san’s room.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this fic on the way to and back from work and originally, it was supposed to be TenShira (for my UshiTenShira fic "[Get You Right](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24959977)" but then I decided that I either wanted for Shirabu (who is canonly smart as heck) to figure out that he needed to change his playing style himself, or for Washijou-san to be the one who helped, so I went ahead and wrote that instead! (though I gotta say, the TenShira one was decidedly more humorous)
> 
> As always, English isn't my first language, so you're more than welcome to point out mistakes!
> 
> Thanks for reading! ✨


End file.
